Windows 11 26H1 “Bromine” Initially Exclusive to snapdragon X2 and Nvidia N1X PCs
Microsoft’s next major Windows 11 feature update, codenamed “Bromine” and designated 26H1, will initially be exclusive to PCs powered by Qualcomm’s snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme processors, and Nvidia’s N1X GPUs. Currently available as Build 28000, the release continues Microsoft’s practice of using chemical element names for internal Windows and Azure releases, following “Germanium” (24H2) and 25H2.
This limited initial rollout mirrors the strategy employed with Windows 11 24H2,the first release for Copilot+ PCs featuring Snapdragon X chips and exclusive AI capabilities. That update eventually expanded to other systems later in the year, and Microsoft may follow a similar pattern with 26H1. The new platform leverages advancements in processor technology,including Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU architecture and considerably enhanced Adreno GPUs,alongside Nvidia’s Blackwell graphics unit and 80 TOPS NPUs for AI workloads.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 elite Extreme processors boast up to 18 cores and clock speeds of up to 5 ghz. Nvidia’s N1X GPU, developed in collaboration with MediaTek and manufactured by TSMC on a 3nm process, appears to be comparable to the RTX 5070. Nvidia is also collaborating with Intel to produce x86 processors with RTX GPUs, a partnership both companies have officially confirmed.
Microsoft intends to maintain its annual feature update cadence, with a broader release planned for the second half of the year.New features will continue to be tested through the Dev and Beta Channels, while the Canary Channel will focus on platform changes. Build 28000 is currently available for installation on all systems, but does not yet unlock the features exclusive to the Snapdragon and Nvidia platforms.
